Ann Coulter, You're No Sister Souljah

Ann Coulter is not African-American, does not sing and never said “If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?” However, she is the closest the Republicans will get to Sister Souljah.

Coulter has made a career of interspersing insightful and cutting political criticism with outrageous and morally repugnant remarks. She attracted considerable attention with her crack about the group of 9/11 widows dubbed the “Jersey girls,” with a line in one of her books, “These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much.”

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Then, there was her crack about Muslims at last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC): “I think our motto should be post-9-11, ‘rag head talks tough, rag head faces consequences.’” At CPAC on Thursday, in endorsing Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney, who needs more bad press like a hole in the head, she piped up with this one: “I was going to say something about John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot.’”

It's about time for a presidential contender, perhaps all of them in the spirit of Newt Gingrich’s crusade for improving public discourse, to say “enough.” Coulter’s never-ending stream of venom is not amusing, unhelpful to Republicans, and not in keeping with the ideals of a party that fancies itself as the proponent of a colorblind society and heir to Lincoln.

It is not “caving” into political correctness to distance and indeed condemn such remarks as unworthy of a political event like CPAC. To the contrary, it is altogether fitting that a group that ostensibly searches for the best in conservative ideas, rewards political courage and encourages intellectual debate, should be able to differentiate the amusing from the offensive, and the clever from the vile.

Conservatives take great glee in condemning ideological opponents who share stages with Al Sharpton or give a convention seat to Michael Moore. It would certainly boost their credibility to toss their own baggage out.

Would it be a stunt to call out Coulter, who obviously revels in the attention of provocative pronouncements? No. Excommunication is not being suggested, just a public rebuke. By clearly stating her comments are beyond the bounds of civil discourse and her presence not a welcome addition to a mature political party, the Republicans could do themselves a world of good. How often does a party have the opportunity to display some measure of dignity, restraint and self-reflection.?

So who will play the role of Bill Clinton to Coulter’s Sister Souljah? It would be a sad commentary on the GOP if the answer is “no one.”

Jennifer Rubin is a writer who lives in Virginia. Her columns appear in the Weekly Standard, the American Spectator, Human Events, abc.com and National Review Online.